Commission rescinds its paid parking approval

The City Commission voted Tuesday to rescind its vote last month that approved downtown parking meters.
After that vote, city staff was confused about whether the commission wanted to put meters around all existing parking garages or just around the county garage at Ringling Boulevard and School Avenue.

The commission was also subjected to an onslaught of e-mails and phone calls from citizens and merchants opposed to paid parking.

City Manager Bob Bartolotta presented commissioners with two options. First, they could approve a plan that places meters east of Links Avenue in the fall and west of Links Avenue after the Palm Avenue garage is built, which is expected to be November or December 2010.

The second option was to delay the entire paid-parking program until the Palm Avenue garage is complete, but possibly buy the parking meters now.

Mayor Dick Clapp added a third option Tuesday — don’t commit to paid parking until the city can host a series of public forums during the next six months to get more input from residents and business owners.

That motion passed unanimously.

Contact Robin Roy at [email protected].